Chiropractic Care of Inflammatory Toronto Back Pain
There are so many spinal conditions! Your Toronto chiropractor is well aware of this. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre welcomes them all! For optimal relief of pain and limited function, the first step is to recognize the condition then set up its proper treatment. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is experienced in both! This week’s highlighted condition is inflammatory back pain, axial spondyloarthritis, and the spine-specific type, ankylosing spondylitis.
AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS
Axial spondyloarthritis is an inflammatory back pain condition. It is often missed as a cause of chronic low back pain although approximately 1% of the US population has it. Traits of axial spondyloarthritis consist of onset before 45 years of age, morning stiffness, improvement with exercise not rest, alternating gluteal pain, and good response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatment. Other features of axial spondyloarthritis include enthesitis (inflammation of tendons and ligaments insertion into bone), dactylitis (inflammation of a toe or finger), peripheral arthritis, extra-articular appearances (like psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, or uveitis), positive for the human leukocyte antigen B27, and a family history of the disease. Early diagnosis is key as is a rheumatology referral for evaluation and co-management. (1) Not only is axial spondyloarthritis missed in medical offices, but it is sometimes overlooked in chiropractic offices, too. (2) It’s just not identified as what it is: an immune-mediated inflammatory disease. Your Toronto chiropractor is aware and looks for it so that typical lapses of time - sometimes years - will not go by between symptom onset and diagnosis. Being a back pain condition, axial spondyloarthritis can be diagnosed and co-treated with chiropractic care for positive outcomes.
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: A SUBSET OF AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS SPECIFIC TO THE SPINE
One variety of axial spondyloarthritis is ankylosing spondylitis. Spondylitis means inflammation of the vertebrae. Interdisciplinary management with chiropractic and medical care with rehabilitation frequently works well for these patients in reducing their symptoms and improving musculoskeletal function. (3) Treating this condition calls for gentle care that certified Cox® Technic chiropractic physicians are good in performing. A case of a 30-year-old male first diagnosed at age 12 whose condition, despite medical care, resulted in fusion of his sacroiliac joints as well as facet joints in the lumbar and cervical spine. The patient underwent chiropractic spinal manipulation of his thoracic, lumbar, and cervical spine areas and physical therapy stretches for 12 weeks. His advanced condition responded favorably with some improvement in pain and flexibility. (4) Another male patient aged 34 years with a 10-year history of AS underwent 18 weeks of chiropractic spinal manipulation and mobilization. This resulted in a 90% improvement in a disease activity index and an 85% improvement in a functional index from start to finish. (5) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre offers very gentle spinal manipulation and mobilization in the form of Cox® Technic distraction decompression. An advanced state of the condition does not preclude chiropractic care or its resultant good outcomes.
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Gabriel Monterrubio on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson. He discusses his use of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for treating ankylosing spondylitis.
Make your Toronto chiropractic appointment today. All types of spine-related conditions are welcome!
